Types Of LTM

Question 1

What are the three types of long term memory?

Answer 1

-Episodic
-Semantic
-Procedural

Question 2

Who suggested that MSM’s view of LTM was too simplistic?

Answer 2

Tulving

Question 3

Episodic memory

Answer 3

-Our ability to recall events from our lives (an episode of our lives).
-You remember when they occured approximately.
-Your memory of the ‘event’ will involve several parts (i.e. faces, location, objects) which all come together to produce a memory of that event.
-One always must make a conscious effort to recall an episodic memory, even if very quick there still is an effort to recall the event.

Question 4

Semantic memory

Answer 4

-Our knowledge of the world.
-Likened to a combination of an encyclopedia and a dictionary.
-It contains not only our understanding of words but concepts as a whole (i.e. the taste of bread, love etc)
-These items are not time stamped and are less personal than episodic memories.

Question 5

Procedural memory

Answer 5

-Our memory of actions and/or skills.
-There is no conscious awareness or much effort of recall.
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Question 6

Clinical evidence of types of LTM

Answer 6

-Both Clive wearing and HM had severely impaired episodic memory, I.e. memory of their past.
-However, they both still understood what words meant, i.e. their semantic memory was still functional.
-Both HM and Wearing also still had functional procedural memory.
-This supports tulvings idea that long term memory isn’t unilateral as Clive wearing and HM still had partial ability in their LTM - something that cannot be explained by unilateral LTM models.

Question 7

Tulving(1994)(AO3)

Answer 7

-Had participants perform various LTM exercises whilst their brain was being studied by a PET scan.
-A PET scan is a brain imaging technique that allows us to study brain activity at a given moment.
-Tulving found episodic memories to be recalled from the right of the prefrontal cortex and semantic memories to be recalled from the left of the prefrontal cortex.
-This suggests there is a physical difference in different types of long term memory.
-Tulvings findings have been further supported by later research, making this conclusion more valid.

Question 8

Practical application of types of LTM(AO3)

Answer 8

-Understanding the different aspects of LTM allows psychologists to target certain kinds of memory to positively benefit certain people’s lives.
-Psychologists have been able to improve episodic memories in those with mild cognitive impairment.
-Trained participants performed better on an episodic memory recall test than a control group who were untrained.
-Episodic memory is the key type of memory most affected by cognitive impairment and being able to identify this type of memory has allowed us to make cognitive impairment more treatable.